The Jiangtang Tongmai Prescription Inhibits Inflammation and Fibrosis of Lung Fibroblast Autophagy Induced by Hyperglycemia by Regulating CAV1 Expression.

OBJECTIVE

The lung is one of the target organs of diabetes. This study aimed to probe the protective mechanism of Jiangtang Tongmai Prescription (JTTMP) against diabetic lung injury.

METHODS

JTTMP-containing serum was collected, and a high glucose and high-fat diabetic cell model was established. The cells were treated with a drug-containing serum or a CAV1-associated vector. Transfection efficiency was measured by qRT-PCR and western blot, the cell proliferative capacity was tested by CCK-8 assay, and the expression of autophagosome marker LC3B was measured by immunophluorescence assay. Expression levels of the autophagy markers LC3B, p62, and Beclin-1, and the expression levels of the fibrosis markers α-SMA, FN-1, and TGF-β1 were determined by western blot, and the levels of inflammatory factors TNF-α and IL-1β in the supernatants were assessed by ELISA.

RESULTS

In high glucose and high fat-induced MRC-5 cells, JTTMP-containing serum impeded the abnormal cell proliferation and the expression levels of autophagy markers, fibrosis markers, as well as inflammatory factors. CAV1 expression was decreased in MRC-5 cells treated with JTTMP-containing serum. In MRC-5 cells upon transfection with the CAV1 overexpression vector and treatment with JTTMP-containing serum, increased cell proliferation, increased LC3B, p62, Beclin-1, α-SMA, FN-1, and TGF-β1, TNF-α, and IL-1β levels were found compared with cells treated with JTTMP-containing serum alone.

CONCLUSION

This study suggests that JTTMP suppresses CAV1 expression to attenuate diabetic lung injury by reducing abnormal proliferation and autophagy, and reducing levels of fibrosis and inflammation.